Is The Tradeskill real money?

No. The Tradeskill is 100% paper trading. Your account is funded with virtual cash only. You can never lose or withdraw real money, and it is not a broker.

How much does The Tradeskill cost?

It is completely free. There is no subscription and no hidden fees. You sign up with an email and get $20,000 in virtual cash to start practising.

How realistic is the market data?

The Tradeskill uses real, live market prices for crypto and US stocks. Simulated orders fill against those prices with realistic spreads and slippage, so the experience closely mirrors live trading.

Which assets can I trade on The Tradeskill?

30 major cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, BNB, XRP and Dogecoin, with live 24/7 pricing; 25 top US stocks and ETFs, including Apple, NVIDIA, Microsoft, Tesla, SPY and QQQ, during US market hours; plus major forex pairs and gold.

Is The Tradeskill good for beginners?

Yes. It is built for learning to trade. Guided steps, an automatic trade journal and AI feedback help you understand orders, risk and strategy with no real money at stake.

Initial Balance and Range Extension in Market Profile

What it means

The initial balance is the high and low of the first hour of a session (in classic Market Profile, the first two 30-minute periods). A range extension is trading beyond the IB later in the session.

A narrow IB leaves room for extension; a wide IB often contains most of the day.

Why traders use it

The first hour is dominated by short-term traders. When longer-term participants step in later and push price beyond the IB, it shows conviction from the other timeframe.

Chart examples

Initial balance, then extension up

The first two candles set the IB. A later close above the IB high starts a range extension.Schematic diagrams drawn to explain the idea; they are not market data.

How to identify it objectively

1Fix the session open and mark the high and low of the first hour.
2Range extension up: a close above the IB high; down: below the IB low.
3Compare the IB width with recent days (narrow or wide).
4Note whether extension happens on one side only or both.

Bullish use

1Narrow IB in an uptrend context.
2A close above the IB high: range extension up.
3Pullbacks that hold above the IB high.

Bearish use

1Narrow IB in a downtrend context.
2A close below the IB low.
3Rallies that fail below the IB low.

What confirms it

Extension in only one direction.
Follow-through after the extension.

What invalidates it

Extension on both sides (neutral day).
A close back inside the IB.

How a hypothetical setup is built

Entry

On the close of the first candle beyond the IB high.

Stop

Back inside the IB, below its midpoint.

Target

IB height projected from the IB high (1× or 2× extension).

A hypothetical illustration of how the concept is turned into a plan, not a recommendation. Practise it on a paper account first.

Historical testing

Not tested on The Tradeskill.

Limitations: when it fails

Session start times differ by market and for 24-hour crypto.
Many days extend both ways.
Similar to an opening-range breakout and shares its false breaks.

Knowledge check

Pick an answer to see the explanation. Nothing is saved.

1. The initial balance is the range of…

2. A range extension is…

3. A narrow IB tends to…

Practise it risk-free

Open the free chart, use replay to go back in time and look for this concept candle by candle with $20,000 in virtual money.